Amazon, Mill Industries partner to divert food waste

Amazon and San Bruno, California-based Mill Industries Inc. have partnered to reduce food waste at Whole Foods Market stores.

Whole Foods Market will be the first grocer to deploy Mill Commercial, Mill’s automated food recycling infrastructure. Starting in 2027, fruit and vegetable scraps generated in back-of-house operations will be processed by Mill’s technology and converted into a chicken feed ingredient intended for Whole Foods Market’s private-label egg suppliers. In addition, Mill received an investment from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund to enable the deployment of this technology.

According to Mill, this initiative marks the grocery industry’s first on-site food waste conversion technology, enabling food waste to be converted into chicken feed in store before sending to suppliers for closed loop opportunities.

Mill Commercial says it will precisely and automatically measure and characterize the fruit and vegetable scraps, enabling smarter inventory decisions and optimized ordering patterns. Its dehydration process can reportedly reduce waste volumes by up to 80 percent, which Mill says will simplify Whole Foods Market’s operational handling requirements, lower transportation costs and enhance food safety.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Mill on its innovative commercial scale technology that will help us reduce food waste and operate more efficiently,” says Jason Buechel, CEO of Whole Foods Market and vice president of worldwide grocery stores at Amazon. “This first-of-its-kind collaboration enables us to minimize waste while building a more circular supply chain that benefits our customers, communities and environment.”

Like Mill’s residential product, its larger scale device grinds and dehydrates food scraps, converting them into dry, odorless and shelf-stable food grounds. Mill says its commercial system also enables reductions in hauling and infrastructure costs over time and is expected to cut carbon emissions associated with food waste management.

Mill’s approach uses artificial intelligence (AI) to track and measure food waste to identify what's being thrown away, how much and how best to reuse the resource.

“With Mill Commercial, we are combining our innovative hardware with data and insights powered by AI to make it easier to dramatically reduce food waste in the grocery sector and beyond, turning what was ‘waste’ into a resource we can use,” Mill Cofounder and CEO Matt Rogers says. “Our approach will deliver significant operational and financial benefits, not just environmental ones. This collaboration with Amazon will set a new standard for the industry, and we are excited to launch Mill Commercial with a trailblazing and mission-driven brand like Whole Foods Market.”